Bishops want Catholics back

By Tim Townsend
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

From as long ago as he can remember, Josey Baker's mom took him to Mass each Sunday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Columbia, Ill. From kindergarten through fifth grade, he went to Mass with his classmates every day at Immaculate Conception's school....

But as he grew into adulthood, the church became less important to his faith. "A lot of people say, 'You're not Catholic because you don't abide by the pope's every rule,'" said Baker, who is now 27. "But I don't feel like just because I don't go to church I'm going to hell. I can have my own relationship with God without going to church every week."

And God says, among other things, to keep holy the Lord's day which means we have an obligation to worship Him. Merely because one assumes to have his "own personal relationship" with God, doesn't mean that God accepts that relationship - after all, it's based on disobedience. If we are faithful, we do not disregard or disobey what has been divinely revealed to us.

....recent statistics suggesting a gradual bleeding of church membership — has leaders of the church concerned for its future. How to herd stray Catholics back to the flock will be at the top of the agenda as U.S. bishops gather for their annual spring meeting starting Thursday in Orlando, Fla.

I have some free suggestions for the bishops: Teach the faith in all of its fullness and beauty; teach it truthfully and with conviction. Be an example of the joy of living the faith and following in the footsteps of Christ. Do not water down the teachings of the Church! Exercise episcopal discipline for those who scandalize the faithful and commit public sacrilege!

The bishops will hear from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, whose pollsters released a major survey of the country's religious landscape in February. They also will hear from Catholic researchers at Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, who have challenged some of the Pew results, especially those regarding Catholic retention rates.

It'll be interesting to see what comes out of this...Let's pray that they get it right.